Yoga for Flat Abdomen

Yoga for Flat Abdomen
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Abdomen is one of the most common areas where we gain weight. A fat belly not just affects the way we look and dress up but it also becomes a source of embarrassment for many of us. However with some yoga techniques, it is possible to turn your fat belly to a flat one.

Sit straight- The foremost thing you have to do is sit straight. Most of us have the habit of leaning which adversely affects our spine and stomach. Leaning makes our back muscles weak and the front muscles tight. So make sure you sit straight and keep your spine erect.

Lifting the legs- Lie down on your back and put both your hands under your head or straight and stretched on the floor. Now join your legs and gradually lift them upwards without disjoining. First bring your legs perpendicular to the floor and your feet pointing towards the ceiling. Now move your raised legs closer to your body till the time you feel your back arching. Use your ab muscles and slowly move your legs downwards.
Remember that you have to inhale while lowering your legs and exhale while lifting them up.

Pavan-muktasan - Once you are able to do this yoga successfully, try a little harder one. In this you lie down exactly the way mentioned before. Now lift you knees and let your feet touch the ground. Gradually bring your folded legs towards your body and lift your head. Bring your hands forward and hold the legs with them. As your feet hang in the air, try to touch your nose to the knees. Hold the breath for a second. Then return to the original position and leave the breath. This is known as the pavan-muktasan. You may do it first with just one leg and later with both. It is a great way to shrink your belly because it reduces abdominal fat and makes knees and thighs flexible.

Torso Stretch (Bhujangasan)- Lie upside down (on your belly) on the floor. Bring your hands forwards, fold them to rest your palms across your chest. Now lift your upper body gradually by the support of back muscles and pressing the upper side of your feet, your toes and your shins against the floor. Press your palms into the floor and straighten your arms. Keep your head straight. Look forward and breathe. Hold your breath for around 30 seconds (if you can) and then release it.
The Torso stretch is immensely beneficial for those who want to get rid of backache and excess padding on the belly.

Locust pose (salabhasana)- The pose is meant to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Lie on your stomach and join your feet. Stretch your legs backward i.e. away from the body as much as possible. Now stretch your palms alongside your body with palms facing up. Gradually raise your arms of the floor and keep them parallel to the body. Simultaneously endeavor to raise your head, chest and legs off the ground and stretch them all up and away from the center of your body. Balance your body on your abdomen and breathe steadily. Remain in the posture till the time you can or from 10 to 30 seconds.

Bending forward pose (Paschimotanasana)- Sit and stretch your legs in front of you. Join the legs. Inhale and move your rest of the body towards your toes. Bring your hands forward and hold your toes with them. Try to touch your forehead to your knees. Hold your breath for around 30 seconds and then exhale and come back to the normal position.

The Bow (Dhanurasana)- If you can try something difficult then the bow pose could be of great help to reduce abdominal fat. For this you lie down on your stomach and hands straight pointing towards your feet. While inhaling gradually lift your legs and try to hold them with your hands, simultaneously raising your chest. Hold the inhaled breath and let the abdomen balance the weight of the body. You will find that a trunk forms as your back archs. Look straight and be in this posture for around 30 seconds. Then slowly exhale and leave your legs, guide them to the floor and rest your whole body.

The Boat (Naukasana) : If you can try something difficult then the boat pose could be of great help to reduce abdominal fat.

The Superman (Vipreet Naukasan) : If you can try something difficult then the superman pose could be of great help to reduce abdominal fat.

Some Points to Remember
1. Go slow.
2. If you are not able to control your breath, breathe. Do not create problem for yourself by succumbing to the temptation of holding breath.
3. To avoid injury and complications listen to your body. Do not drive your body against its limits. Consult a doctor if you want.
4. Try saying “Om” because yoga is based on mind-body connection. So take some time to clear your mind and establish contact with your body before you commence yoga moves.

Asanas

Asan (i.e. Sitting down) is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended primarily to restore and maintain a practitioner's well-being, improve the body's flexibility and vitality, and promote the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods.These are widely known as Yoga postures or Yoga positions, which is currently practiced for exercise and as alternate medicine.

Following are the Asanas helpful to boost liver system.

Ardha Matsyendrasana - The Half-Spinal Twist
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"Ardha" means "half" in Sanskrit. Since the full posture is difficult to be practiced, the half-posture, which is easier, is followed widely. This posture was first promoted by the great Yogi Matsyendranath, one of the founders of Hatha Yoga, and hence the name.

Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose
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"Bhujanga" means "cobra" in Sanskrit. This asana is called "Bhujangasana" as the raised trunk, neck and head while practicing it resemble a cobra rearing its hood and about to strike, while the joined and stretched legs resemble its tail.

Chakrasana - Wheel Pose (Supine)
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"Chakra" means "wheel" in Sanskrit. In the final position of this asana, the body is arched backward and resembles the rim of a wheel. Hence the name.

Janusirasana - Head-to-Knee Pose
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"Janu" means "knee" and "Siras" means "head" in Sanskrit. The head is made to rest on the knee in this posture, hence the name.

Paschimotanasana - Posterior Stretch
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"Paschima" means 'behind', 'back' or 'posterior' and 'Uttana' means to stretch out in Sanskrit. "Paschimotana" means stretching the posterior regions of the body.

Sarvangasana - All-Parts Pose
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"Shalabha" means "locust" in Sanskrit. The final position of this asana resembles a locust when it lowers its head to eat and raises its tail. Hence, the name.

Sirshasana - Head stand
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"Sirsha" means "head" in Sanskrit. It is required to "stand on his head" in this asana and hence the name.

Twisting poses like Pawanmuktasana and Ardha Matsyendrasana – it is likely that your body might start to shake. That is more so if you happen to hold the pose for a decent length of time. The shaking, in our opinion, is the direct consequence of the detoxification process occurring in your system.

A yogasana aims to attain a sustained and comfortable sitting posture to facilitate meditation. They also have wide range of therapeutic use. Meditation helps to calm the mind. Yoga also helps to cultivate Sattva (superlative quality of mind) and Ojas ( ultimate positive energy in the body)which is critical for a positive mind frame and healing process.

Asanas most helpful in hepatic conditions are vajraasana, shalabhasana, halasana, padahastasana, abdomen lift and stomach lift. These asanas improves the circulation of the blood to the hepatic cells, sensitises lymph nodes supplying liver, removes the toxins in the peritoneum and hepatic region.

Apart from the above Ardha Navasana works on liver, gall-bladder and spleen and helps to strengthen abdominal muscles. Sarvangasana works on glands and inner organs, especially heart and liver. Halasana stimulates stomach, spleen, small intestines, heart, liver, gall bladder, & kidney. Paschimothasana aids in condition of enlarged liver and spleen. Salabhasana stimulates pranic flow in the lung, stomach, spleen, heart, liver, small intestine, pericardium, & bladder meridians, increase digestive fire, and maximizes use of all nutrients, produce body heat. Dhanurasana helps to restore energy, vigor, youthful vitality, stimulates lung, small intestine, stomach, liver, & urinary bladder meridians.

In addition to these Ardha matsyendrasana, Mayurasana Trikonasana , and shavasana , also assist in hepatic conditions.

Care should be taken while performing Yoga and should be done only at morning or evening with calm mind. Pranayama helps in all disease conditions. Chanting of manthra and meditation in a quiet place is important to heal different emotions associated with liver. Nature walk and gazing at moon also helps to balance pitta. In addition an ayurvedic diet, some herbal ayurvedic medicines and life style modification will speed the recovery.

Courtesy : Wikipedia,Ezinearticles.com and a2zyoga.com